Before Monday, the last time the Charlotte Hornets went on a winning streak was seven weeks ago. They finally ended the slump after defeating the Miami Heat 105-102. Incidentally, the Hornets' previous contest also saw them eke out a 105-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
It's also worth noting that Charlotte finally notched a divisional win, having gone 0-11 in its previous matches with its Southeast Division rivals.
For a while on Monday, though, it didn't look like the Hornets were leaving Miami with a dub, as the host went up by as many as 17 points in the first half. It also clung to a four-point margin at the start of the fourth quarter and still led 96-93 at the two-minute point of the final period.
A clutch LaMelo Ball made an appearance at Kaseya Center
Fortunately for the Hive, LaMelo Ball decided to take over in crunch time. While he had made his mark in the league as a lethal scorer in the clutch earlier in the 2024-25 campaign, he showcased his playmaking genes this time around.
After Tyler Herro's jumper with 2:01 left, Ball pushed the rock up the court and dished it to the team's hottest player on offense at the moment — Miles Bridges. The veteran forward then drove to the rim and sank the floater over a contesting Bam Adebayo.
The next trip on offense saw the 2021 Rookie of the Year get his layup blocked and the ball subsequently going out of bounds. With only 3.8 seconds left in the shot clock, he saw an open Bridges above the break. The 3-pointer off Ball's assist gave Charlotte its first lead, 98-97, since the middle of the third quarter.
Herro quickly regained the lead for the Heat off a left-wing jumper before LaMelo fed Miles for another make beyond the arc.
A couple of missed attempts from Miami resulted in Ball grabbing a defensive rebound and passing the rock to Mark Williams for a fastbreak slam. The Hornets iced the win with Bridges' pair of free throws and despite Nick Smith Jr. committing a costly turnover before the final buzzer sounded.
It was incredible team effort that had Charlotte starting its four-game road trip with a dub. Bridges was outstanding for the Hornets again, putting up 35 points on 12-19 shooting. However, the struggling Ball also deserves credit for steadying the ship late in the game. He didn't force the issue that much and kept looking for the Michigan State University product whenever possible.
Assisting on the squad's last four field goals in the final 1:50 helped the 2022 All-Star finish with a 15-point, 10-assist double-double night. Hopefully, he can regain his shooting touch in his next appearances while still proving his worth to the Hornets as their most reliable floor general, especially in close contests.